Baseball
by bloodredcherry
Summary: The night shift goes against the day shift in a whole different kind of war... complete


Baseball.

Disclaimer: I own nothing. 

AN: I'm sure this isn't the most original idear but oh well. 

Rating**:** PG 

"Can someone please tell me who's idea it was to have a baseball team?" 

"It's just for Saturday," Nick Stokes replied. 

"And it's for charity." Gil Grissom interjected. 

"Besides, beating Eckley will make my day," Nick paused, "no my year." 

Sara Sidle reached her arm back behind her shoulder and pressed down on her elbow, she switched arms, squinting into the sun. "Of course, they have to pick the hottest day of the year." She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and Catherine slipped on a pair of sunglasses. She scanned the pitch and spotted Eckley's team on the other end of the field. 

She saw Jim Brass and Sheriff Brian Mobley-- who was going to be umpire--conversing on the home plate. 

"Rock, Paper, Scissors to see who goes first. Who's up?" Warrick Brown wondered. 

"I'll go," Greg volunteered, "I'm the champ at rock, paper, scissors." 

Brass waved them over and the two teams made their way to the home plate. Conrad Eckley stepped forward and Greg cracked his knuckles and rolled his neck. 

"All right," Brass said, "best two out of three." 

Greg glared and Eckley just smirked. 

"Rock, paper, scissors!" 

"Ha!" Greg cried out, "paper beats rock." 

"Rock, paper, scissors!" 

Eckley cut Greg's paper and Greg bit his lip. 

"Rock, paper, scissors!" 

It was a tie, both men held out their hands clenched in tight fists. 

"This is the last one boys," Brass said, "ready?" 

Greg closed his eyes. 

"Rock, paper, scissors!" 

Greg winced and there was silence, then... 

"Yeah!" Nick yelled. 

"Way to go man!" Warrick jostled Greg's shoulder, he pried open an eye and saw his rock and Eckley's scissors. 

"Let's play!" Sheriff Mobley yelled, he grinned at Grissom, "you guys up first, Eckley you're team is in the field." 

"Are you okay with going first?" Grissom asked, "there's a lot of pressure." 

"Yeah," Sara replied, she took the bat from Grissom's hands and made her way to the plate, with the shouts of her teammates following her. 

"Get the home run Sara!" 

"Come on Sidle!" 

Sara stepped beside the plate and bent her knees; she turned the bat in her hands and practiced her swing a few times. 

Eckley of course was the pitcher, and he dropped the ball into his glove. 

"Bring it on," Sara murmured, and Eckley pitched. 

Sara grit her teeth and rolled her shoulders, trying to release some of the tension in her back. She took her stance and bit her bottom lip. 

Eckley flung the ball down to home base and Sara swung, this time the ball soared through first and second. 

"RUUUUUN!" Catherine screamed. 

Sara dropped the bat and turned so fast she nearly slipped. She sprinted towards first and stomped her foot onto the base just as a young blond CSI thwacked her glove across her shoulder. 

"Safe!" Sheriff Mobley yelled, sweeping his arms across. 

Sara grinned and pumped her fist; she turned to the young blond and grinned. "Ha!" She said, right in her face. 

Nick was next up to bat, he pulled his hat down, so the visor kept the sun out of his eyes. He took the bat, and swung it a few times before taking his position at home plate. 

"C'mon Nicky!" Sara yelled. 

"Hit it home!" 

Nick glared at Eckley who glared right back, Eckley rotated his shoulder and flexed his hand. 

"Come on!" 

"Let's go!" 

"Hey!" Sheriff Mobley yelled and silence fell over the pitch. The small crowd that had gathered on the bleachers watched, as Eckley was finally ready to pitch.

Nick looked ready to take the big swing, but at the last moment he pulled the bat in and bunted it. 

The graveyard shift's bench erupted in cheers as Sara made it to third and Nick jumped onto first. 

A young CSI with long auburn hair pulled into a messy top bun stepped up to plate. She got two strikes before finally hitting the ball, but she was caught out before she reached first base. 

Fifteen minutes later, they were two out and Catherine stepped up to the plate. 

Eckley laughed and turned back to his team, "move it in!" 

Catherine's face flushed red with embarrassment, then anger. She gripped the bat in her hands, so hard her knuckles went white. She'd wipe that smug smile off his face. 

He pitched an easy one that rolled to the back catcher. 

"Ball one!" 

Catherine narrowed her eyes, come on throw it you bastard. 

He threw the next one properly and Catherine swung the bat.... 

The crowd erupted in cheers, and it took a moment for Catherine to react. 

"YEAH!" Warrick yelled jumping to his feet. 

"RUN!" Grissom shouted, "Run Cath! Run!" 

Catherine hucked the bat over her shoulder and sprinted for first. She could hear Eckley screaming at his teammates as she crossed first, then second, then third. 

Finally the outfielders got the ball back to the shortstop but Catherine was still only half way to the plate. The ball was fired to the back catcher just as Catherine slid home. 

Silence fell over the pitch, Sara was gripping Nick's arm. Catherine pushing herself up and saw as the smoke cleared Sheriff Mobley sweeping his arms across. Catherine didn't quite believe it until she heard the thunderous cheers. Who knew twenty people could make so much noise!? 

Sara was jumping up and down, she flung her arms around Nick's neck. 

"No!" Eckley yelled, "no way that was safe!" 

Catherine pushed herself to her feet and sent a smug smile of her own in Eckley's direction. Ha ha, she thought buffing her knuckles on her shirt, I win. 

Next it was Grissom's turn...man he hated organized sports. But he simply rolled his shoulders and stepped up to the plate with an air of calm despite the pressure he knew he should be feeling. (Since another random un-important-to-this-story CSI struck out). He swung his bat a few times for a good show then took his stance.   
Be the ball...C'mon Gil, be the ball. When Eckley pitched the ball Grissom swung with all his might, sadly the bat flew out of his hands and landed a few feet in front of him. 

"Hey Gil," Eckley said, squinting into the bright sun, "the point of baseball is the actually hold onto the bat, so you can hit the ball." 

What Grissom wanted to do was to have Nick hold onto Eckley so he could hit him in the face. Instead Grissom simply turned to Mobley for directions. 

"Strike one!" Mobley called. 

Grissom nodded, he sent a look to his team. It was okay; he still had two shots left. 

"C'mon Griss!" Sara cheered. 

"Go Grissom!" Greg chanted, "it's your birthday! Go Grissom! It's your birthday!" 

Grissom narrowed his eyes at Eckley who pitched ball again, Grissom hit the ball. Sure it didn't go very far, but at least he hit it. He bolted to first base and would have made it if the girl hadn't tagged him first. 

"It's okay," Warrick nodded, "we're a head three runs." He glared at Eckley who was speaking to his own team in a huddle. "We can take them." 

"They're going down." 

"Eckley's team's ass's are grass," Catherine nodded, "and I'm the lawnmower." 

"Okay," Grissom pondered, "so I'm in outfield?" 

"Yeah," Nick nodded, "me Warrick and Sara are the basemen and Greg here's our short stop." 

"They gave me the shaft to outfield too Griss," Cath said sadly. 

"Let's go show how it's done." Sara stuck her hand into the circle. Everyone slapped their palms on top of hers. 

"GOOO TEAM!" 

Sara narrowed her eyes at Eckley willing him with her mind to strike out, sadly though, he cracked the ball across the pitch on his first hit. 

"Grissom!" Greg yelled, "it's coming RIGHT FOR YOU!" 

"What!?" Grissom yelled. 

"THE BALL!" 

Grissom looked afraid, very afraid indeed. Damn organized sports.... the corruption of society. But he would catch the ball, if for no other reason than to laugh in Eckley's face. Sure it wasn't mature, but it sure sounded like a lot of fun. He held out his glove and everything seemed to slow until, he realized that the ball was going to drop about three feet in front of him. 

This was it, he lunged forward. His feet came off the ground and the crowd of cheering fans went dead silent. It was so close, so close. 

Warrick made a face as Grissom crashed to the ground, ooh, Warrick thought wincing, that'll need some ice. 

Oh, Grissom groaned that's going to need some ice. He was vaguely aware of someone shouting his name. 

"-issom," Catherine grabbed his shoulder, "did you get it." 

"If I didn't," Grissom muttered, he wrenched his glove out from underneath him and pulled out the baseball. 

"HA!" Catherine screamed, "I mean," she smiled, "good one Grissom." 

Archie helped him to his feet and Grissom held up the ball for all to see. 

The pitch erupted in wild shouts from the graveyard shift and angry screams from the day shift. 

"I don't believe that shit," Eckley growled. 

"Oh yeah, oh yeah," Sara chanted doing a victory dance around the first base. 

"It was a fair out Conrad," Mobley shook his head, "go and sit down Conrad." 

Conrad looked upon the graveyard shift with a look of utter and total contempt. He'd get them...oh he would someday, right when they-- and he promptly tripped over his own bat. 

Nick snorted and didn't bother to conceal his laughter. Neither did the whole crowd. 

Conrad glowered, red with humiliation in his seat on the bench. Even a few of his own people were shaking with laughter. 

Bloody traitors. 

"I couldn't believe the look on his face!" Sara sniggered into her coke; she nudged Grissom with her elbow. "Very nice catch." 

"It was a one time thing," Grissom drowned his drink, "I can assure you." 

"No way man! You rocked out there." Warrick slapped Grissom's back. 

"I don't do organized sports." 

Catherine blinked, "well you could have fooled me." 

"Me too," Nick replied. 

"Besides," Greg grinned, "I hear there's lawn bowling next year."

FINI 

Review but no flames please!


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